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Rocket fired from Gaza hits house in Israel, wounding seven Rocket fired from Gaza hits house in Israel, wounding seven
(about 2 hours later)
An early morning rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a house in central Israel on Monday, wounding seven people and prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut short a trip to Washington. The developments set the stage for a potential major conflagration, shortly before Israel’s upcoming elections. A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has hit a house north of Tel Aviv, wounding seven Israelis and prompting Benjamin Netanyahu to cut short a trip to the US.
The rocket attack destroyed a residential home in the community of Mishmeret, north of the city of Kfar Saba, wounding six members of a family who lived there. The Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people overall, including two women who were moderately wounded. The others, including two children and an infant, had minor wounds. The Israeli prime minister vowed to “respond forcefully” to the strike – a rare long-range launch that overflew Israel’s commercial capital of Tel Aviv – suggesting a major retaliation. The army said later it was reinforcing troops along the Gaza frontier and calling up reserves.
The sounds of air raid sirens jolted residents of the Sharon area, north-east of Tel Aviv,shortly after 5am, sending them scurrying to bomb shelters. A strong sound of an explosion followed. The Israeli military said it identified the rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. With a general election two weeks away, Netanyahu has been under pressure to show he can end the regular rocket launches from the strip. Widespread and frequent Israeli bombardments of Gaza, three full-scale wars with its rulers, Hamas, and a punishing decade-long blockade on the territory have all failed to stop the violence.
The strike left a family home in Mishmeret in ruins, tiles and debris scattered all about. The family dog was killed in the explosion. Monday’s projectile destroyed a residential home in the community of Mishmeret. Israel’s national emergency service, the Magen David Adom said it had treated two women who were moderately wounded, while two children and an infant, had minor wounds.
Netanyahu, in Washington to meet Donald Trump, held emergency consultations with military officials back in Israel and decided to cut his visit short, cancelling a planned address to the Aipac conference and meetings with congressional leaders. Residents of the Sharon area, north-east of Tel Aviv, were awakened by the sound of air raid sirens shortly after 5am. Locals fled to bomb shelters and an explosion followed.
“There has been a criminal attack on the State of Israel and we will respond forcefully,” he said, “In a few hours I will meet with President Trump. I will return to Israel immediately afterward.” Police shared photos of the destroyed family home, with roof tiles scattered on the ground and walls pock-marked, cracked or missing. One photo showed a wooden baby crib, encased in mangled metal roads and yellow roof insulation. Behind it, several picture frames remain on the walls. Another image displayed a yellow and red child’s car toy among the smashed ruins.
Anticipating a strong Israeli response, Gaza’s Hamas leaders have apparently gone underground. Witnesses reported seeing Hamas evacuating its personnel from government premises. Hamas also announced that its Gaza chief, Yehiya Sinwar, had cancelled a scheduled public speech. Israel also shut down its main cargo crossing into Gaza. A family dog was killed at impact.
Monday’s attack came 10 days after rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel’s densely populated commercial capital of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military at the time struck back and the sides appeared to be hurtling toward another confrontation. But Gaza’s Hamas leaders said the rocket was fired accidentally and calm was quickly restored. Netanyahu, in Washington to meet Donald Trump, held emergency consultations with military officials back in Israel. After meeting the president on Monday, he will fly back, cancelling a planned address at a conference held by the major US pro-Israel lobby, Aipac, as well as meetings with congressional leaders.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s attack, but it would seem to be much harder to dismiss the latest incident as another misfire. “There has been a criminal attack on the state of Israel and we will respond forcefully,” he said, “In a few hours I will meet with President Trump. I will return to Israel immediately afterward.”
Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamic militant Palestinian group that seeks Israel’s destruction and possesses a large arsenal of rockets and missiles capable of striking deep inside Israel. The territory is home to other Palestinian militant groups, including Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed armed organisation that also has a formidable rocket arsenal. Gaza’s Hamas leaders have apparently gone underground. Witnesses reported seeing Hamas evacuating its personnel from government premises. Hamas also announced that its Gaza chief, Yehiya Sinwar, had cancelled a scheduled public speech. Israel, which imposes a land, air and sea blockade on Gaza, shut down its main cargo crossing into the strip.
Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the group seized power in the strip in 2007. Smaller flare-ups have occurred sporadically since Israel and Hamas fought their last war in 2014; Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming out of the coastal territory. Monday’s attack came 10 days after rockets were fired from Gaza toward Tel Aviv, the first such attack since the 2014 war. Hamas first denied responsibility for the attack and then said the rockets were fired accidentally. Israel retaliated with airstrikes.
The outburst comes at a sensitive time for both sides. Israel is holding national elections in 15 days. Netanyahu, who also served as defence minister, is locked in a tight fight for re-election and has faced heavy criticism from his opponents for what they say has been an ineffective response to Gaza militants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s attack.
Tensions in Gaza have risen over Israel’s lethal response to a year of weekly protests, in which more than 180 Palestinian haven been killed and thousands more shot by Israeli soldiers who UN investigators say may have committed war crimes. The anniversary of those protests is on Saturday, further adding to fears of escalating violence.
Often following especially bloody days at the Gaza demonstrations, militants in the enclave have fired projectiles into surrounding areas, to which Israel responds with bombing raids. However, Monday’s attack travelled much further and it was not immediately clear why it was launched.
Netanyahu, who is fighting for reelection in a tight race, has been under pressure from more bellicose Israeli politicians, including his own parliamentary allies, who criticise his response to regular bouts of fighting with Hamas as too light-handed.
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“The reality in which Hamas turned Israel into a hostage is unprecedented and unfathomable,” his chief challenger, Benny Gantz, wrote on Twitter on Monday.Netanyahu has also come under attack from his own nationalistic camp. “The reality in which Hamas turned Israel into a hostage is unprecedented and unfathomable,” his main challenger and former army chief, Benny Gantz, wrote on Twitter.
“Israel’s deterrence has collapsed, and it has to be said in all honesty Netanyahu has failed against Hamas,” said the far-right education minister Naftali Bennett, head of the Yamin HeHadash faction in Netanyahu’s coalition. “Netanyahu is a good prime minister but a failed defence minister.” “Israel’s deterrence has collapsed, and it has to be said in all honesty Netanyahu has failed against Hamas,” said far-right education minister Naftali Bennett, the head of the New Right faction in Netanyahu’s coalition.
In Gaza, Hamas has come under rare public criticism for the harsh conditions in the territory. An Israel-Egyptian blockade, combined with sanctions by the rival Palestinian Authority and mismanagement by the Hamas government have fuelled an economic crisis. The territory’s residents have little desire for another war with Israel. The Associated Press contributed to this report
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